Those We Left Behind
by wolfgirlalways
Summary: As long as someone loves us and remembers us, we will always be present. A look at those the BAU left behind and the impact they have had
1. Spencer Reid

A/N i almost hate myself for this. I've been in a criminal minds mood lately and as i was driving him i was listening to the Wreck of the Edmund-Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot. i heard the line "And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters." and then this happened. so without further ado...

**Those we left behind**

"The pleasure of remembering had been taken from me, because there was no longer anyone to remember with. It felt like losing your co-rememberer meant losing the memory itself, as if the things we'd done were less real and important than they had been hours before."

― John Green

**Spencer Reid**

)(-)(

_Dianna Reid_

Dianna Reid does not get to attend the dedication to the memorial, instead the nice nurses at the sanitarium where she lives set up a private viewing of it on TV with the help of a woman named Penelope Garcia, who had contacted them. At first she doesn't seem to understand as she watches the opening ceremony with a blank face. But, as she catches sight of her son's picture, there lined up with the others, her eyes become eagle sharp. She noticed the red and puffy eyes of those members of the staff that had known and cherished her young genius. Tears form as she watches the men and women talk about how brave her son and his team were, and how many lives they saved. It was truly beautiful, but it did nothing to take away the gut wrenching **_ache_** that cut Dianna right in half. Her son, her light, the best thing in the world, was just gone. Sobs came, as she realized she would never get to hold him close, and feel his heartbeat, so strong so _vital_. She cried not only for herself but for the things he should have had, but now never would. He would never get to give his heart away with marriage, he would never get to hold his child, and feel his heart soar with the new life. He would never get to grow old and retire and watch his own children accomplish their dreams. As the ceremony ended the TV shut off and the nurses left Dianna to her quiet contemplation. As dinner drew nearer however, her doctor came to see her.

"How are you doing Dianna?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine." She answered.

"If you're distressed at all I can give you something to help you relax." He offered his own eyes sad.

"I'm fine." She said with a smile. "My son is an FBI agent you know?" She said with pride in her voice. At the doctors nod she continued. "I hope he has time to visit soon, I have chosen the perfect book to read to him. He's such a good boy, and he's always loved to listen to me read."

"I'm sure Spencer will visit when he can." The doctor answers as his voice breaks.

)(-)(

William Reid wished with everything he had that things had been different. It seemed as if he had only just reconnected with his son, their time had been all too short. He let the tears flow unchecked down his cheeks as he walked to the memorial, lightly tracing his hand over the names of the deceased, only able to put faces to his son and two others. He places the flowers he'd bought at the base of the memorial and left, the tears still flowing.

"At the temple there is a poem called "Loss" carved into the stone. It has three words, but the poet has scratched them out. You cannot read loss, only feel it."

― Arthur Golden

A/N Let me know what you thought. I plan on doing a chapter with all the others, and one for Garcia about being left behind. And can anyone possibly tell me the name of Rossi's daughter from the newest episode? I cant seem to find it anywhere. Thanks for reading and for anyone who reviews

-wolfgirl


	2. Aaron Hotchner

Those we left behind

"But she wasn't around, and that's the thing when your parents die, you feel like instead of going in to every fight with backup, you are going into every fight alone."

― Mitch Albom

Aaron Hotchner

Jack Hotchner

Jack holds flowers in one hand, and with the other he holds the hand of his wife of four years.

"Hey dad." He said, setting the flowers down at the base of the memorial and running his hand over the name of his father.

"I passed the bar. I'm officially a lawyer, I hope you're proud." Jack falls silent as he remembers all the things that made up his father. He quiet strength, his strong presence, the sense of safety and rightness Jack had always felt when his father would fold him into his arms and tell him things would be alright. It had just been the two of them, after his mom had been taken. And then, it had just been him.

Jack wondered if they would be proud of him. His father had never, not even once, tried to push him to a career. He'd always encouraged Jack, any time he'd declared what he was going to be when he grew up; Even when he wanted to be a pirate. Hotch had shown up the next evening with an eye patch and a couple of swords and they had spent the evening running through the house, fighting over the booty.

Jack treasured those memories.

But he also thought about all those times growing up without a parent. When he graduated and his parents hadn't driven him buts with pictures. His Aunt Jessica and Beth had tried. But they just weren't his mom and dad. He thought of his first day of college, and watching all the moms and dads hug their children goodbye. He remembered his wedding with no dad to give him sage words of wisdom. He'd felt so alone. But looking back over all his accomplishments he had a revelation. He'd never been alone. They'd been there, in his thoughts and actions, in the things they had taught him. They'd been his strength, his determination and his love.

"You remember Erica right dad? I married her four years ago, but sometimes I don't know what she sees in me." He paused. "You're going to be a grandfather. We just found out last week." Tears started pouring down Jack's face, "I'm going to be a dad, and I don't get to ask my dad for advice. I know you would have had something wise to say. You always seemed to know the answers. It's been hard, I still miss you every day. I hope you know that." Erica rubbed her hands across his back.

"He's so amazing. I want you to know that. He's everything you would want him to be, he's strong and brave and best of all, he's gentle. He must have had a hell of a father, to show him how to be a true man." She added, tears slipping from her own eyes. "We both miss you. Happy Birthday Aaron."

)(-)(

Beth

Beth rocks slowly back and forth on the stone bench, holding baby Aaron Hotchner, while Jack and Erica walk down one of the park paths, hand in hand. She still visited Jack, the death of her love and his father had not forced them apart, but had somehow pulled them closer.

She'd been shattered, when the sobbing boy had called her. They'd cried on the phone together for hours, before Beth had pulled herself together long enough to travel to his home to be there. On the plane ride over, she'd thought of Aaron as he'd been in life. The wounded soul, who had the strength to carry on. She would use his example, to come out of this heartbreaking loss, stronger on the other side. And together they would get his son through this.

She stood, holding the baby with one arm, while she kissed her fingers and ran them over the carved stone name. All that remained of the man she'd desperately loved.

"He's everything we dreamed he would be. He's so much like you that sometimes it hurts, but I love your son all the more for it."

With one last lingering look she turned and walked away.

"We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss."

― Cassandra Clare

A/N tannerose5 asked if i planned to address what happened. I wasn't planning on writing about it in the story as I want this to focus mostly on who were left behind. But here's what i'm thinking. They all died together, and in doing so saved countless lives. The thought that keeps running through my head is that some kind of terrorist has placed a bomb on the plane and is piloting the plane by remote, like in the episode a thousand suns. They manage to gain enough control and are faced with the choice, crash the plane, or allow it to reach it's detonation and harm others, so they choose to crash the plane. I don't plan on writing the story however. Thanks for your reviews and for reading


End file.
